The 2006 chess Olympiad, was held in Turin, Italy in May. With over 1300 players from 146 national federations competing, it was a veritable festival of chess.
The Open gold medal was won convincingly by the 3rd-seeded Armenian team, headed by world number three and rising star, Levon Aronian. After taking the lead midway though the 13-round event, the Armenians looked increasingly sure bets to better their bronze medal of two years ago, with ten match wins, three draws and no losses – the only unbeaten team. Another rising force in world chess, the young Chinese team, secured silver with some big wins making up for four match losses. The USA took the bronze on tie-break from Israel in their best result in recent years. Top-seeded Russia surprisingly finished only 6th, the only time they (or the USSR) have finished lower than 2nd since entering the competition.
The New Zealand men's team, seeded 79th, finished a relatively disappointing 91st (coverage of the women's event next column). After a strong start, including a narrow 2½-1½ loss the USA, only one team member performed above expectation - 16 year old Puchen Wang of Auckland, scoring 6½/9 and earning the FIDE Master title.
Today's game from the 8th round was Wang's best result, a win with White over Costa Rican IM Alex Murillo.
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. c3 cxd4 5. exd4 Nc6 6. Bd3 Qc7
By transposition we have a position from a quiet variation of the Caro Kann. Black avoids castling kingside as the pawn structure favours a White attack there. Both sides play to restrict the other's queen's bishop development. 7. h3 h6 8. Nbd2 g5 9. Nf1 g4 10. hxg4 Bxg4 11. Ne3 e6 12. Nxg4 Nxg4 13. Bg5 Rg8 14. Bh4 Bd6 15. Qc2 Rb8 16. a3 Kf8
Both sides have solved the queen's bishop problem, and now that of the kings. Since neither side is safe to castle, both remain in the centre. 17. Kf1 Na5 18. Qe2 Rc8 19. Re1 Nc4 20. Bxc4 Qxc4 21. Qxc4 Rxc4 22. Nd2 Rc6 23. f3 Bf4! 24. Ke2 Ne5! 25. Reg1 Bxd2
Some nice tactics by Black have taken the initiative. He hopes to prove the Black knight is stronger than the White bishop, which is hampered by it own pawns. White wisely keeps both bishops on. 26. dxe5! Bf4 27. Bf6!? Rb6 28. b4 Ra6 29. g4 Rxa3?
An instructive error. With the Black king hemmed in by the bishop on f6, the opening of a file on the queenside is worth far more to White than the a-pawn. Black should have exchanged bishops with 29 ... Bg5 which retains a slight advantage. 30. Ra1 Rxa1
Or 30 ... Rxc3 31 Rxa7 Rc8 32 Rha1 Rg6 32 Rxb7 and the passed b-pawn will decide. 31. Rxa1 a6 32. b5 Ke8 33. bxa6 bxa6 34. c4!? Kd7?!
Blacks best defence was still 34 ... Bg5 exchanging to a rook ending a pawn down. But not 34 ... dxc4?? 35 Rd1 mating! 35. cxd5 Ra8 36. d6 a5 37. Ra4 Bg3?!
Underestimating the strength of the White's 'bad' bishop has been Black's downfall. Even here 37 ... Bg5 gave better defensive chances. 38. f4 Ra7 39. Bg7 Kc6 40. Bxh6 Kb5 41. Ra3 Bh4 42. g5 a4 43. Bf8 Kc6 44. Be7 Kd7 45. g6! Bxe7 46. g7 Bxd6
Wang's handling of the ending has been exemplary. If here 46 ... Ra8 then 47 Rxa4 Rg8 48 Ra7+ Kc6 49 dxe7 and White brings up the king to win. White now forces a new queen. 47. Rh3! a3 48. g8=Q a2 49. Qxf7+ Be7 50. Rd3+
Black will be mated before his pawn can queen.
1-0
Solution: 1 ... Nf3+! winning the queen, since if 2 exf3 Rh2+ 3 Kc1 Qe2 forces mate.
Armenia win gold at Olympiad
Problem: Black to play and win.
The 2006 chess Olympiad, was held in Turin, Italy in May. With over 1300 players from 146 national federations competing, it was a veritable festival of chess.
The Open gold medal was won convincingly by the 3rd-seeded Armenian team, headed by world number three and rising star, Levon Aronian. After taking the lead midway though the 13-round event, the Armenians looked increasingly sure bets to better their bronze medal of two years ago, with ten match wins, three draws and no losses – the only unbeaten team. Another rising force in world chess, the young Chinese team, secured silver with some big wins making up for four match losses. The USA took the bronze on tie-break from Israel in their best result in recent years. Top-seeded Russia surprisingly finished only 6th, the only time they (or the USSR) have finished lower than 2nd since entering the competition.
The New Zealand men's team, seeded 79th, finished a relatively disappointing 91st (coverage of the women's event next column). After a strong start, including a narrow 2½-1½ loss the USA, only one team member performed above expectation - 16 year old Puchen Wang of Auckland, scoring 6½/9 and earning the FIDE Master title.
Today's game from the 8th round was Wang's best result, a win with White over Costa Rican IM Alex Murillo.
1. d4 d5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. e3 c5
4. c3 cxd4
5. exd4 Nc6
6. Bd3 Qc7
By transposition we have a position from a quiet variation of the Caro Kann. Black avoids castling kingside as the pawn structure favours a White attack there. Both sides play to restrict the other's queen's bishop development.
7. h3 h6
8. Nbd2 g5
9. Nf1 g4
10. hxg4 Bxg4
11. Ne3 e6
12. Nxg4 Nxg4
13. Bg5 Rg8
14. Bh4 Bd6
15. Qc2 Rb8
16. a3 Kf8
Both sides have solved the queen's bishop problem, and now that of the kings. Since neither side is safe to castle, both remain in the centre.
17. Kf1 Na5
18. Qe2 Rc8
19. Re1 Nc4
20. Bxc4 Qxc4
21. Qxc4 Rxc4
22. Nd2 Rc6
23. f3 Bf4!
24. Ke2 Ne5!
25. Reg1 Bxd2
Some nice tactics by Black have taken the initiative. He hopes to prove the Black knight is stronger than the White bishop, which is hampered by it own pawns. White wisely keeps both bishops on.
26. dxe5! Bf4
27. Bf6!? Rb6
28. b4 Ra6
29. g4 Rxa3?
An instructive error. With the Black king hemmed in by the bishop on f6, the opening of a file on the queenside is worth far more to White than the a-pawn. Black should have exchanged bishops with 29 ... Bg5 which retains a slight advantage.
30. Ra1 Rxa1
Or 30 ... Rxc3 31 Rxa7 Rc8 32 Rha1 Rg6 32 Rxb7 and the passed b-pawn will decide.
31. Rxa1 a6
32. b5 Ke8
33. bxa6 bxa6
34. c4!? Kd7?!
Blacks best defence was still 34 ... Bg5 exchanging to a rook ending a pawn down. But not 34 ... dxc4?? 35 Rd1 mating!
35. cxd5 Ra8
36. d6 a5
37. Ra4 Bg3?!
Underestimating the strength of the White's 'bad' bishop has been Black's downfall. Even here 37 ... Bg5 gave better defensive chances.
38. f4 Ra7
39. Bg7 Kc6
40. Bxh6 Kb5
41. Ra3 Bh4
42. g5 a4
43. Bf8 Kc6
44. Be7 Kd7
45. g6! Bxe7
46. g7 Bxd6
Wang's handling of the ending has been exemplary. If here 46 ... Ra8 then 47 Rxa4 Rg8 48 Ra7+ Kc6 49 dxe7 and White brings up the king to win. White now forces a new queen.
47. Rh3! a3
48. g8=Q a2
49. Qxf7+ Be7
50. Rd3+
Black will be mated before his pawn can queen.
1-0
Solution: 1 ... Nf3+! winning the queen, since if 2 exf3 Rh2+ 3 Kc1 Qe2 forces mate.